Solid state light assembly with control circuit

Abstract

A light assembly that includes a cover, a housing coupled to the cover, and a lamp base coupled to the cover. The light assembly also includes a first circuit board disposed within the housing. The first circuit board has a plurality of light sources thereon. A heat sink is thermally coupled to the light sources and is disposed within the housing. The heat sink includes openings therethrough. Each of the outer edges is in contact with the housing. The light assembly also includes an elongated control circuit board assembly electrically coupled to the light sources of the first circuit board and the lamp base. The control circuit board extends through the openings. The control circuit board has a plurality of electrical components thereon for controlling the light sources.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A light assembly having an axis of symmetry comprising:
 an enclosure comprising at least a base and a cover coupled to the base; 
 a plurality of light sources disposed on a circuit board within the enclosure in a first ring having a center point aligned with the axis of symmetry; and 
 a partial continuous rotated ellipsoidal reflector, having a first focal point within the cover and a plurality of second focal points disposed in a continuous second ring coincident with the first ring, said reflector formed by rotating a major axis of an ellipse around the second ring while continually intersecting the first focal point, said reflector reflecting low angle light from the plurality of light sources through the cover. 
 
     
     
       2. A light assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein the first focal point is coincident with the center point. 
     
     
       3. A light assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein the circuit board is disposed on a plane perpendicular to an axis of symmetry of the light assembly. 
     
     
       4. A light assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein the enclosure comprises a housing, said housing disposed between the base and the cover. 
     
     
       5. A light assembly as recited in  claim 4  wherein the housing comprises the reflector. 
     
     
       6. A light assembly as recited in  claim 4  wherein the reflector comprises an offset ellipsoidal reflector portion. 
     
     
       7. A light assembly as recited in  claim 4  wherein the housing comprises an offset ellipsoidal reflector portion transitioning into a heat dissipating element. 
     
     
       8. A light assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein high angle light emitted from the light sources is communicated directly through the cover. 
     
     
       9. A light assembly as recited in  claim 1  further comprising a housing disposed between the base and the cover. 
     
     
       10. A light assembly as recited in  claim 9  wherein the reflector is coupled to the circuit board and the housing acting as a heat sink. 
     
     
       11. A light assembly as recited in  claim 9  wherein the housing is hyperboloidal in shape. 
     
     
       12. A light assembly as recited in  claim 1  further comprising a light-shifting element within the enclosure. 
     
     
       13. A light assembly as recited in  claim 12  wherein the light-shifting element comprises a film. 
     
     
       14. A light assembly as recited in  claim 12  wherein the light shifting element comprises a film having a material having a light-shifting gradient having a first light-shifting rate adjacent the cover and a second light-shifting rate adjacent the center point greater than the first light-shifting rate. 
     
     
       15. A light assembly as recited in  claim 12  wherein the light-shifting element is disposed between the first focal point and the plurality of light sources. 
     
     
       16. A light assembly as recited in  claim 12  wherein the light-shifting element is spherical. 
     
     
       17. A light assembly as recited in  claim 12  wherein the light-shifting element comprises a dome coupled to the circuit board. 
     
     
       18. A light assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of light sources generates heat, said circuit board conducting heat in a radially outward direction to a heat sink, said heat conducting through the heat sink toward the base. 
     
     
       19. A method comprising:
 generating light from light sources disposed in a first ring on a circuit board within a light assembly; 
 transmitting high angle light from the light sources directly through a cover; 
 reflecting low angle light from the light sources at a reflector, said reflector having a partial continuous rotated ellipsoidal shape having a common first focal point and a second ring of second focal points coincident with the first ring, said reflector formed by rotating a major axis of an ellipse around the second ring while continually intersecting the first focal point; and 
 directing the low angle light to the first focal point from the reflector. 
 
     
     
       20. A method as recited in  claim 19  further comprising shifting a low angle light frequency using a light-shifting element disposed between the reflector and the first focal point. 
     
     
       21. A method as recited in  claim 19  further comprising positioning a light-shifting film within the light assembly. 
     
     
       22. A method as recited in  claim 19  further comprising shifting a low angle light frequency using a light-shifting element disposed at the common first focal point. 
     
     
       23. A method as recited in  claim 19  further comprising positioning a light-shifting element at the common first focal point using a standoff extending form the circuit board. 
     
     
       24. A method as recited in  claim 19  further comprising positioning a spherical light-shifting element at the common first focal point using a standoff from the circuit board.